Curing connection



June 9, 1936. E, T N 2,043,935

CURING CONNECTION Filed Nov. 50, 1932 2 SheetsSheet 1 /5 l I I Mom June9, 1936. E, TEB NS 2,043,935

CURING CONNECT'iION Filed Nov. 50, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 manic.

Clyde E 5/612 ins Patented June 9, 1936 UNITED. STATES CURING CONNECTION Clyde E. Stebbins, Cuyahoga. Falls, Ohio, assignor to Wingfoot Corporation, Akron, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application November 30, 1932, Serial No. 645,023,

4 Claims. (01. 285-168) This invention relatesto curing connections, and it refers more particularly to detachable connections for use in vulcanizing apparatus such as are employed in vulcanizing pneumatic tires, inner tubes and other inflatable articles.

While the invention may be employed in different kinds of vulcanizing apparatus, it is especially adapted for use in what are known as pot heaters, wherein a plurality of separate vulcanizing molds are stacked and subjected to vulcanizing heat by the circulation of steam or other heating medium around them. At the same time, the pneumatic tires or other articles which are to be vulcanized within the molds are subjected to pressure by inflation within their respective molds, such inflation being accomplished by a suitable pressure fluid such as compressed air, steam, hot water, or the like. It is, of course, necessary that the couplings so employed be substantially fluid-tight, and this is particularly true when the inflating medium is of an entirely different kind from the heating medium. It is also desirable that these connections be. capable of being made and broken quickly and with a minimum amount of manual efiort. Some of the prior art couplings which have been used for this purpose have embodied screw-threaded elements, while others have had conventional bayonet joints of one kind or another, and .while such couplings have been'serviceable, they have given rise to some objections which the present invention overcomes.

v One object of the present invention is to provide a curing connection which is especially adapted for vulcanizing apparatus and which can be quickly made and broken with a minimum amount of manual eiiort.

Another object is to provide such a connection which will be entirely fluid-tight in service.

Another object is to provide such a connection which is extremelysimple in construction, strong.

and durable in use, and a substantial advance in the art to which the invention relates. V

More specifically, the invention contemplates a coupling unit which comprises a pair of cooperating members, one in the form of a socket and the other in the form of a plug adapted to be received therein, and each of said members being apertured to permit the passage of a pressure fluid. In the bottom of the socket member there is aTpacking ring which is abutted by the inner end of the plug member when the latter is in place, and associated with one of the cooper,- ating members is a transversely slida ble latch plate which serves to-lock theparts' in assembled relation. The packing ring is so formed that it will be expanded by pressure of the fluid passing through the coupling, thus effecting a tight seal.

The foregoing objects, features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent as the following description proceeds in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein one form of the invention has been shown by way of illustration, and wherein Fig. l is a fragmentary side elevation, partly in transverse section of one 'form of vulcanizing equipment fitted with curing connections, in ac cordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar but more fragmentary view drawn on a. larger scale;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the improved curing connection per se, with the cooperating members thereof disconnected;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal,- sectional view through the improved curing connection and showing the parts locked in assembled relation;

' Fig. 5 is a transverse, sectional view takenon line VVof Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 is an end view of the curing connection with the large plate in its unlocked position;-

By way of illustration, the invention has been shown in Fig. 1 in conjunction with a conven tional pot heater-l0 used for vulcanizi'ng pneue matic tire casings. Such pot heater, as is well known to those skilled in the art, comprises a vertically disposed, substantially cylindrical vessel having its closed lower encla hydraulic ram l l upon which are stacked a plurality of annular, sectional molds [2, each mold being provided with suitable cavities for confining the tires l3 to be vulcanized by the application of heat and pressure. The heating is efiected by the circu lation of steam or other suitable heating medium through the interior of, the heater and around the mold sections l2, such heating medium being introduced as at I4 through a suitable pipe leading from any appropriate source of supply. The upper end of the pot heater is closed by a removable cover l5, which, when locked in place serves as an abutment against which the ram H maintains the molds in stackedrelation and each tightly closed.

During the vulcanizing operation the tire casings 13 are tightly pressed against the cavity walls of their respective confining molds by being inflated with apressure fluid supplied from a sectional'ma'nifold l6, which, in turn, is connected to a suitable source of supply by means of flexible hose H, or the like. This inflating fluid may be either compressed'air, steam, hot water, car- Icon dioxide or otherwise, as desired. In the'illusvtrated embodiment, the inflation'of the tires l3 is accomplished by the use of inflatable members I8 which are also'known as air-bags or. curing bags, each of such inflatable members being pro V videdwith one or more 'tubularstems. l9 extendingthrough the "inner peripheral wall of the confining mold l2 and. connected to the manifold f I6 by means of the improved coupling or curing connection 20, which constitutes the essence'of this invention. -At this point it is well to note other forms of 'vulcanizers, such as watch case that the improved coupling may be used with heaters, and they are not restricted to use with 7 any specific inflating mediumor'with any particular kind of inflating bag within the tire.

" Referring more particularly to Figs. 2 to 6,' inclusive, of the drawings, it will be seen; that the improved coupling comprises a pair of cooperating members 2| and 22, the former being provided with a short,-screw-threaded extension '23 to facilitate its'connection with a flexible tube "24 leading from the manifold |6,;and the member '22, generally known as an adapter, having an internally screw-threaded extension 25 which is adapted .for. connection with the tubular inflation stem 9 previously'referred to and associatedwithl the inflatable member I8. The member 2| is in i the nature of a socket having a substantially cylindrical recess ZBeXtending inwardly from one end thereof and adapted :to snugly receive 'an enlarged cylindricalhead portion 21 of the member 22.- The end of; said head portion 21 has a flat central annular-surface 2'lc..surrounded by 'a chamfer or bevel 21d forapurposejtobe herer inafterpointed out.

. Disposed in' the bottom of the cylindrical recess 26 is a packingmember28 which may pref- V erably'be molded orJotherwise formed and cured of soft, resilient rubber andwhich is so pro'por-- tioned that it will be abutted by the annular sur-:

7 face 21:: onthe inner end of the head portion 21eof the member 22 when the latter is in place 1 withintherecess 26.

' member28 ha s'its edge portionsbeveled off, leaving a flat. central. annular surface 280; of sub- One end of this packing 7 i'stantially'the same size as thesurface 210. by

which it is, abutted. The bodyof the member 28 .a is provided withja substantially central hole 29 passageways 30 and 3|, respectively within the adapted for alinement with uninterrupted fluid members 23 and 22, so thatwhen the parts are assembled together'the inflating fluid may free 'ly passin either direction entirely through the coupling between'the flexible tube 24 and the tubular inflation stem IS. The other end of the packing member 28 is formed with a frusto-conicalrecess 32 providing flexible annular lip portions 33, which, duetotheirdistorted and compressed condition, are adapted to be readily self sealing and to be-readily pressed'outwardlyby the inflating fluid, and thus held in tightse'aling V engagement with the walls of the recess 26,

whereby to effect a tightly sealed joint. Surroundingthe hole 29 in the bottom of the recess to insure a positive pressure of thesurface 28a against the surface 210 and thus effect a tight seal Iatthis point. 'Theseparts are,in fact, so proportioned that :theunion between the end of the adapter and the packingring will be sealed mechanically by assemblingbefore the inflating fluid is caused or permitted. to flow through the 7 coupling, and this sealed union will be -aug-. mented by the pressure of the fluid tending to expand the packing ring.

It is desirable that the members 2| and 22 be capable ofbeing quickly locked and unlocked with respect to each other, and for this purpose there is provided a novel and simplified locking means. Such locking means comprises 'a substantially rectangular metallic plate .35, which is mount- Ied upon the body of the member 2|, said plate being transversely slidable across the end of "said member 2| and guided'in. such sliding move-Q ment by in-turned flanges 36 and 31 formed on its opposite longitudinal edges. These flanges '36 at opposite sides of the member 2|,fand thesliding movement of'theplate '25 is limited byadditional flanges 39 and 40 which are formed on the opposite ends of the plate'35. In the body of V theplate there is formed asubstantially keyhole-shaped openingwhich has a circular portion 4| of a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the head portion2l ofthe member 22, and an extending'slot 42 which is considerably narrower than said circular portion II but sufficiently wide to clear or slide over the shank portion 210, of the member 22.

, When the'plate 35 is inits correspondingside of the member 2 I, the circular opening 4| is substantially in axial alinement with therecess 26 and thus'permits the insertion and removal of the head portion21 of the mem-- ber '22. On the other hand, when the plate 35 unlocked position limited by the end flange 39. abutting against the and 31 are disposed in suitably formed grooves 38 is in its locking position, as shownin Fig. 5 and 5 as limited by the engagement of the end flange against the corresponding sideof the member 2| the opening 4| willbe off center from-the recess 26, and in the event that the head portion 21 of the member'22 is'disposed withinsaidrecess at this time, the portions .43 of the, plate 7 at the opposite sides of the slot 42 will engage against portionslof the end 21b of the plug and maintain-the same 'tightly against the packing member 28in the bottom of the'recess. v 1

In the use of the invention, a. minimum amount of 'manual, efiort isf requiredfor making and it breakin'g'the connection between the manifold l6. and the inflation stem litin the mold. Assumingifirstthat the heater is'just beingloaded and the connection referred to isto be, made,fit is only necessary 'for the. attendant to graspthe coupling member 2| in one hand with the plate 35 inits unlocking positiomas shown in Fig. 3,

and then topush the same against and over the. a

head portion'21 of the coupling member 22'until 7 said head portion 21 is entirely disposed within the recess 261andin abutting relation with the end of the packing member 2 8. Thereupon, the, V attendant need only slide the'plate 35 transversely to substantially itsotherextreme limit of movement, in which condition the parts will besecurely locked together and a" tightly sealed 7 joint effected. After the vulcanizing operation has been completed,'the coupling may be quickly broken or detached by .a reversalof the sliding movement of the plate35 and withdrawalof the socket member 2| from theplugimember 22.

. From the foregoing it willvbe' evident th t i substantial advance has .beerimade in the art to which this invention relates, by the provision of acuring connection which can-be quickly and easily made and broken, so that it willbe conducive to economy in the labor of loading and unloading of vulcanizing molds. Furthermore, the parts are of such simple construction that they may be manufactured easily at low cost and at the same time the parts are of such rugged construction as to be serviceable over a long period of time. Obviously, the invention is susceptible of various modifications in the details of construction and arrangement of parts, and the right is herein reserved to make such changes as fall within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a female member having a. bore with end and side walls, a male member insertable therein and of a cross-section substantially that of said bore, a cup-shaped packing having a thin, readily flexible lip arranged in said female member with said lip extending away from said male member, the bottom thereof contacting with said male member, and means for holding said male member against longitudinal displacement away from said packing but exerting a sumcient clamping force on said packing to force the lip against the end wall of said bore to deform the same inwardly and make a portion thereof lie against said end wall, said side and end wall being connected by a curved portion against which said lip lies and by which it is deformed under the clamping pressure, and said deformed lip lying closely against said curved portion of said end wall.

2. In combination, a female member having a cylindrical bore and a curved fillet gradually merging with the side wall and extending inwardly toward the axis thereof, a cup-shaped packing ring having a very thin lip portion and of an outside diameter substantially that of said bore and fitting snugly therein with said lip extending toward said fillet, a male member having a head substantially the same as the diameter of said bore and fitting within said bore and abutting against said packing ring to hold said packing ring in place against longitudinal displacement,

and means for holding said male member in such a a position longitudinally of said bore that said thin lip portion is deformed inwardly by said fillet and lies snugly thereagainst, whereby said lip, in addition to being held by fluid pressure against the side walls and fillet, is additionally held against said fillet by its inherent resiliency under its compression, due to being deformed by said fillet.

3. A device as set forth in claim 2 in which said male member and packing ring are formed to have a clearance space therebetween adjacent their peripheries but being in sealing contact with each other inwardly toward their centers, the male and female members and packing ring having communicating openings therethru for the passage of fluid under pressure.

4. In combination, a female member having a bore, a male member insertable in saidfemale member andof a cross section substantially that of said bore, a cup-shaped resilient packing having a thin, readily flexible lip'arranged within said female member with said lip extending away from said male member, the wall of said bore merging with an inwardly and axially sloping shoulder extending away from said lip and adapted to gradually compress said lip radially inward when the latter is forced axially against said shoulder, whereby the lip portion is compressed peripherally and the natural resiliency of said packing member tends to expand said lip to hold the same'firmly against said shoulder, and means for holding said male member in such a position that it will retain said packing member with the lip thereof compressed against said shoulder.

CLYDE E. STEBBINS. 

